Electric-fixture support and connecter



R. B. BENJAMIN lI'SLEC'IRIG FIXTURE SUPPORT AND CONNECTER June` 14,1927. l 1,631,997

Filed March 5, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v R. B. BENJAMIN f ,-ELEQTRICFIXTURE sUPPoRT AND CONNECTER y Filed March 5, 1923 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 t@MENTON lm., Miu/M ATTORNEY Patented J une 14, 1927.

xUNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE-1 -EEUBEN B. BENJAMIN, or CHICAGO,ILLINOIS, AssIGNon To BENJAMIN ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, oFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION oF ILLI- NDIS.` 4 Y i ELECTRIC-FIXTUREsUPPoET AND CONNECTER.

Appncation'med March s, 19231 serial No. 622,760. v

My invention relates to electrical fixture supports and connecters.

One of the objects of my invention 1s to provide an improved fixturesupport and connecter which will be suitable for' use with a flat typecanopy or cover', in which there is very little room between the canopyand the face of the receptacle to accommodate the fixture support andconnecter;

A further object of my invention 1s to provide an improved electricalfixture support and' connecteridevice, which will pre# vent marring ot'the surface of `the wall when the fixture is being putin place.

Further objects willappear from the detailed description to` follow and`from the appended claims. I

1n the drawings in which an embodiment of my invention is showny Fig. 1is a part sectional, part elevational View showing a fixture and thesupportlng end connection device;

Fig. 2 is a rear vview of part of the struction shown in Fi .1; Fig. 3isa tront'view of the receptacle; Fig. 4 is a sectionron the line 4ta-4of Fi 1' y f dig., 4a isa fragmentary view ofparts shown in Fig. 4., butin a vdifferent positlon; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5- of Fig.4; 0 a

Fig. 6 is an unassembled perspective View of the support and connecterdevice and the supporting lplate'of the receptacle;

Fig. 7 is an 'enlarged' View showing the wa the hooks engage thesupporting plate; an y Fig. 8 is a section `on the line 8-8 'of' Fig. 4.l Referring now to the drawings 'in detail, the construction showntherein comprises a fixture 10, a receptacle 11, anda fixture-supportingand connecter device 12, for supy porting the fixture in properVpositionwith `respect to the receptacle `11 and electrically connectingit therewith. y I j.

The `fixture 10is ofthe type havingpa flat canopyror ornamental plate13, which lies so `close to the wall and to the surface of thereceptacle that there ViS-veryflittle space between the canopy and thereceptacle to receive the supportingand oonnecter'..,de vice 12.V It isytherefore necessary to make this supportingfand connecter devcegverythin fro'mufrontto rear, in order to get it into the available space.

In order to accomplish this desired result, I make the supporting.bracket 14, which mechanically supports the fixture, of sheet metal,and I make the insulating basef15 of theplug-in device 16 whichelectrically connects the fixture with the receptacle, of threesuperposed sheets 17, 18 and 19 respectively, (see Fig. 6) of insulatingmaterial, such as sheet fibre or the like, secured together, and mountedon the metal'bracket 14 which mechanically supports the'fixture.

In order that the hooks 20, 21 and 22 of the supporting bracket 141. maybe engagedin the openings 23, l24 and 25 of' the supportlng plate 26'for the receptacle, itis necessary to mount the plug-in device 16 forsliding movement with respectrto the supporting bracket 14. For thispurpose the supporting bracket 14'is cutout atits central portion, asindicated at 27 to provide a vertical slideeway, in which theintermediate layer or sheet 18 of the insulating base 15 slides, theother two sheets or layers 17 and' 19 lying onvr opposite sides of' thebracket, and extending beyondthe edges of the slide-way, to provideretaining and guide anges on opposite sides ot the bracket to hold theplug-in device in position on the bracket. l

The contact blades 28 and 29 of the plugin device, have bent-over footportions orv bases 30 and 31, which occupy openings 32 `and 33 of theintermediate layer o1' sheet vof ythe layers 17,18 and 19, so that thethree layers are thus firmly secured together to slideas a unit in theslide-Way in the bracket 14,i The frontlayer`17 of the insulating baseisfcut-/aivayas indicated at 39and 40 'to permit the feed wires 41 and42 to be led along the :tront of the plug-in device to a positionadjacent the Contact blades 2S and 29, the intermediate plate also beingcorrespondingly recessed, to provide olea-rance for the wires, and therear plate 19 having passages 43 and 44'adjacent the `toot-portions 30and 31 of the contact blades, thru which the ends ot' the feed wiresareled, the ends oit these eed wires being soldered or otherwise secured tothe toot-portions 30 and 31 as indicated at 45 and 46 in Fig..2. Asshown in .F ig. 2, the 'rear insulating layer 19 is apertured to permitthe passage .o i the contact blades 28 and 29 therethru, and also toexpose a portion ot' the toot-portions 30 and 31 of the contact bladesto permitthe soldering ot Athe wires referred to above.

A pair of coil compression springs 47 and 4S are provided, to hold thehooks ,20,21 and 22 in connected position with respect to the plate 26.The construction and operation ot these springs will be described morein detail hereinafter.

The flat canopy 13 which carries the tixture 10, is secured to thesupporting bracket 14 by means of a pair of screws 49 and .50. The hooks20, 21 and 22, which engage vthe openings 23, 24 and 25 in`thesupporting plate 26 are so constructed that they prevent the ornamentalplate or canopy 13 from scraping against and mariing the surface yof thewall adjacent the receptacle when the tixture is beingconnected. Forthis'purpose, the hooks are made to inclinedownwardly and rearwardlyfrom the supporting bracket and the holes in the supporting plate aremade just large enough to receive these inclined hooks without allowing`much play, so that the bracket has to be'connected by means of an inwardand Ydownward slanting movement, the plate or canopy being thus toi-cedto move with a parallel motion, which prevents any part of it scrapingagainst'the wall.

Each oi the upper hooks 20, 21, is pro vided with a shoulder portion 51and the lower hook 22 is provided with an otiset forming a shoulder Iat52, these shoulders 51 and 52 serving to limit the downward movement ofthe bracket as it is hooked into the openings in theV supporting plate26.

The receptacle 11 is secured to the rear face of the supporting plate 26in any suitable manner. A suitable ornamental finishing plate 53 may besecured'in front of the supporting plate.

In connecting the fixture, the blades 28 and 29 of the plug-in deviceare inserted into the openings 54 and^55 in the receptacle, the bracket14 is slipped 'upwardly against the action of the 'springs 47 and 48, tothe position shown in Fig. 4, to bring the points oi the hooks 20, 21and 22 above the edges of the openings 23, 24 and 25, the bracket 14 isthen slid inwardly and downwardly, to bring the hooks from the dottedline position Ashown inl Fig. 7, to the full line position, in which thehooks are -securely connected to the plate 26 and-the shoulders 51 and52 of the hooks rest on the lower edges ot' the openings 23, 24 and 25.

The springs 47 Vand 4S, previously referred to, hold the bracket 14down, against any torce which might otherwise accidentally jar thebracket loose from the plate 26, these springs being held in position byIneans of lugs .56, 57, and 59 (Fig. 6) on the insulating base l5 andbracket 14.

it will `-be seen that I have thus provided a very vthin construction ofconnecter and plug-in device, which makes it suitable for use with acanopy or ornamental plate of the fiat type, in which there is verylittle,

room between the canopy and the receptacle.

lVhile I have shown but one form of my invention, it is obvious that itmay be embodied in other forms covered and defined by the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters'Patent of the United States, is:

1. A plug-in device and ixturesupporting bracket for cooperating with areceptacle having blade receiving openings and a supportingvplate havinghook receiving openings, said plug-in device having blades for enteringsaid blade-receiving openings, and said fixture supporting brackethaving hooks for entering said hook-receiving opening, said plug-indevice being slidably mounted on said bracket, said plug-in devicecomprising an insulating base on which said contact blades are mounted,said insulating base comprising two sheets of insulating material onopposite sides of said bracket and secured together. i

V2. A plug-in device and fixture supporting bracket for cooperating witha receptacle having blade receiving openings and a supporting platevhaving hook receiving openings, said plug-in device having blades forentering said blade-receiving openings, and said fixture supportingbracket having hooks vfor entering said hook-receiving opening, saidplug-iin device being slidablv mounted on said bracket, said plug-indevice comprising an insulating base onv which said contact blades aremounted, said bracket having an opening therein forming a slide-way,said insulating base comprising three sheets of insulating material,superposed upon each other, the intermediate sheet being slidable insaidslide-way, and the outside sheets being located on opposite sides ofsaid bracket, and extending'beyond said opening to form guide 'flanges i3. A plug-in device and liXture supporting bracket `for cooperating witha receptacle havingblade receiving openings and a supporting platehaving hook receiving open ings, said plug-in device having blades forentering said blade-receiving openings, and said fixture supportingbracket having hooks for entering said hook-receiving opening, saidplug-in device being slidably mounted on said bracket, said plug-indevice comprising an insulating base on `which said contact blades aremounted, said insulating base comprising two sheets of insulatingmaterial on opposite sides of said bracket and secured together, saidblades having foot-portions clamped in place between said sheets.

4. A plug-in device and iXture supporting bracket for cooperating with areceptacle having blade receiving openings and a supporting plate havinghook receiving openings, said plug-in device having blades for entering'said bladereceiving openings, and

20 saidfixture supporting bracket having hooks for entering saidhook-receiving opening,

other, the intermediate sheet being slidable i in said slide-Way, andthe outside sheets being located on opposite sides of said bracket, andextending beyond said opening to form guide flanges, said bracket andthe intermediate sheet oi' insulating material having co-operatingspring positioning means, and a spring held in place by said positioningmeans, for holding said hooks in connected position with respect to theplate.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto sub Y scribed my name.

' REUBEN B'. BENJAMIifI.v

